say something to her—demand something of her—but held back. Though his reasons for doing so were unknown, she remained grateful he did.
What a mess her life was rapidly becoming. As if her dreams weren’t odd enough, now she came to find out he indeed had a twin brother. One he hated?
What the hell was going on?
“Are you sure?”
“Yes, I’m sorry. I’m okay. And, I’m sorry about your brother. That must be…uh…well…tough,” she stuttered. Man, she sounded like a veritable font of eloquence tonight.
The cold mask returned, and she took a step away from him. “I know you’re dying to know what happened, so I’ll tell you. There was a woman. Amelia. She was everything good in the world. Beautiful, kind, charming. We were in love, and due to be married. Elijah, my brother, had been promised to another woman, but he loved my Amelia. There were some problems, and Amelia…died.” His voice faded away on the last word.
It appeared obvious to her from the tightened fists at his side and the hard set of his mouth as he pressed his lips together, the hurt plagued him still.
“Oh, my God, I’m so sorry. How horrible. I don’t know what to say.”
“Yes, well, it happened a long time ago. Time moves on, people heal. But I have no interest in speaking to him, or even knowing where he is. The whole situation was his fault. If he hadn’t—” He bit his lip and looked away. She wondered what he had been about to say. The cold mask he seemed to put over his face when he no longer wished to speak on a subject came back, though, so she dared not ask. “Well, now that I’ve ruined the evening, maybe we should call it a night, hmm?”
“You could stay here. On the couch, I mean. If you want. I’m kinda freaked out,” she said. He stared at her, and she shifted on her feet at his scrutiny. Maybe it had been a mistake to invite him to stay. Something was going on here, something bizarre. And he was smack dab in the middle of it. And yet, she’d invited him to spend the night?
A loud bang sounded outside the window, and she jerked at the noise. She raised her hand still gripping the knife and started toward the window in determination. She’d had enough of this shit, already. Isaac stretched out to stop her and chuckled.
“Sheath the knife. It’s just the wind. It must have kicked up some debris.” He reached forward prudently to extract it from her rigid grip.
Over his shoulder, she saw a shadow move in the darkness. “I just saw someone out there. Whoever you chased away is back! I’m calling the cops.” She whirled on her heel and grabbed the knife back from him in one smooth gesture. She sprinted to the kitchen, knife in hand.
“First of all, let’s take this before someone gets hurt.” He snatched the weapon back from her once more.
“Hey,” she protested. She held her hand out with an impatient wave, and put the other on her hip. “Give me back my knife.”
“Absolutely not.” He ignored her furious intake of breath. “Second, please put down the phone. There’s no one out there anymore,” he declared.
“But, I saw—”
His finger pressed against her lips silenced her.
“Trust me, okay? You’re safe tonight. I’ll spend the night here, on the couch, if it will make you feel better. I’ll hear if someone comes. It’s almost a sixth sense of mine.” He grinned and pulled her into his arms and kissed her nose before he buried his face in her hair and inhaled.
“You smell so delicious.” He breathed into her ear.
Oh please , if he thought she was easily distracted, he had another think coming.
“Nice try, but I still say we should call the—”
“And you taste even better.” He groaned as he nibbled on her ear. Her head fell back against his arm, and he kissed a path across her neck and to her lips. His lips latched onto hers with a desperation that called to her very soul. Right here, right now; he needed her. And, God , she needed him.
He leaned her against
What a mess her life was rapidly becoming. As if her dreams weren’t odd enough, now she came to find out he indeed had a twin brother. One he hated?
What the hell was going on?
“Are you sure?”
“Yes, I’m sorry. I’m okay. And, I’m sorry about your brother. That must be…uh…well…tough,” she stuttered. Man, she sounded like a veritable font of eloquence tonight.
The cold mask returned, and she took a step away from him. “I know you’re dying to know what happened, so I’ll tell you. There was a woman. Amelia. She was everything good in the world. Beautiful, kind, charming. We were in love, and due to be married. Elijah, my brother, had been promised to another woman, but he loved my Amelia. There were some problems, and Amelia…died.” His voice faded away on the last word.
It appeared obvious to her from the tightened fists at his side and the hard set of his mouth as he pressed his lips together, the hurt plagued him still.
“Oh, my God, I’m so sorry. How horrible. I don’t know what to say.”
“Yes, well, it happened a long time ago. Time moves on, people heal. But I have no interest in speaking to him, or even knowing where he is. The whole situation was his fault. If he hadn’t—” He bit his lip and looked away. She wondered what he had been about to say. The cold mask he seemed to put over his face when he no longer wished to speak on a subject came back, though, so she dared not ask. “Well, now that I’ve ruined the evening, maybe we should call it a night, hmm?”
“You could stay here. On the couch, I mean. If you want. I’m kinda freaked out,” she said. He stared at her, and she shifted on her feet at his scrutiny. Maybe it had been a mistake to invite him to stay. Something was going on here, something bizarre. And he was smack dab in the middle of it. And yet, she’d invited him to spend the night?
A loud bang sounded outside the window, and she jerked at the noise. She raised her hand still gripping the knife and started toward the window in determination. She’d had enough of this shit, already. Isaac stretched out to stop her and chuckled.
“Sheath the knife. It’s just the wind. It must have kicked up some debris.” He reached forward prudently to extract it from her rigid grip.
Over his shoulder, she saw a shadow move in the darkness. “I just saw someone out there. Whoever you chased away is back! I’m calling the cops.” She whirled on her heel and grabbed the knife back from him in one smooth gesture. She sprinted to the kitchen, knife in hand.
“First of all, let’s take this before someone gets hurt.” He snatched the weapon back from her once more.
“Hey,” she protested. She held her hand out with an impatient wave, and put the other on her hip. “Give me back my knife.”
“Absolutely not.” He ignored her furious intake of breath. “Second, please put down the phone. There’s no one out there anymore,” he declared.
“But, I saw—”
His finger pressed against her lips silenced her.
“Trust me, okay? You’re safe tonight. I’ll spend the night here, on the couch, if it will make you feel better. I’ll hear if someone comes. It’s almost a sixth sense of mine.” He grinned and pulled her into his arms and kissed her nose before he buried his face in her hair and inhaled.
“You smell so delicious.” He breathed into her ear.
Oh please , if he thought she was easily distracted, he had another think coming.
“Nice try, but I still say we should call the—”
“And you taste even better.” He groaned as he nibbled on her ear. Her head fell back against his arm, and he kissed a path across her neck and to her lips. His lips latched onto hers with a desperation that called to her very soul. Right here, right now; he needed her. And, God , she needed him.
He leaned her against
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